One Last Night
by pyxistar
Summary: Ladybug and Chat Noir discover their love may not have real after all.


[I]"It is time to return your miraculous. Paris has you to thank for its salvation."

[I]Somehow, as they stood in the wake of their victory, Ladybug managed to feel unsettled. There was an undertone of sadness accenting Master Fu's words, but the way that he avoided meeting hers or Chat Noir's gaze made Ladybug suspect there was more to it than their inevitable farewell that he was dreaded.

[I]Even the moon looked distressed. Only half of it was visible that night, but what could be seen by the naked eye took to cowering behind a few stray clouds whenever it could. Perhaps the adrenaline of the battle kept the moon feeling jittery and anxious. Or perhaps it could taste the bitterness that dripped off of Master Fu's words being carried up to the heaven's on the wind.

[I]A shooting star caught Ladybug's eye. She gripped at Chat Noir's hand, grateful that he couldn't feel how slick her palm was through their suits. Usually a shooting star was considered good luck; now it seemed like it was fleeing when the moon could not, far away from the real tragedy of the night that had yet to befall them.

[I]Hand shaking with every palpitation of the heart, Ladybug finally dared to ask, "what haven't you told us yet, master?"

[I]He looked at them and made a long overdue confession. One that turned both the heroes of Paris into gawking statues.

"I can't believe it." Chat Noir said into Ladybug's hair. It had come untethered at some point during the battle, so her blackberry locks no doubt tickled his chin as he rested it on the top of her head. Still, Chat Noir didn't fuss, and instead began to kiss whatever parts of her skin he could reach in their position. Her head was tucked into his chest, listening to his heart. Was it her imagination, or did it beat in time with hers? "I won't believe it."

"I know tonight has been hard on you. Chat, I want you to know, that in whatever comes next...I'm here for you. As a friend, a partner, a girlfriend."

He tightened his grip around her waist. One of his hands slid up the supple curve of her spine; Ladybug felt his fingertips gently brush against every knob in her spine, sending a warm, tingling sensation rippling through her extremities. Chat came to rest his hand on the back of her neck, where he began to twirl some of her hair around his fingers.

Sometimes silence was comfortable. It spoke louder than words, a testament to the closeness achieved by the pair blanketed within it. The silence that had become of the three that stood there, in that ravaged Parisian street, was thick with unshed tears and the pungent, stagnating stench of regret.

Around them, the roads reflected the inner torment of their soul. Paris had yet to feel the final kiss of Ladybug's healing powers. They'd become clogged with debris of stone, brick, and disjointed metal. Puddles from sort of drainage spilled onto the pavement. Neither Chat nor Ladybug were sure where it was coming from. The water mirrored the nearly starless night. From the peripheral of one's vision, it may have appeared as though black holes were forming on the ground, growing and gurgling, consuming everything in sight.

Similarly, the civilians fared little better. A twinge of guilt made Ladybug's heart flutter, not like a butterfly so much as it was like a leaf, cast away in the wind, falling wherever fate may take it. The jittery anxiety that came as destiny carried her to her falling point made every inch of her tremble. Most of the people that staggered out to meet them began to applaud almost at once, though one or two crawled over just to beg for the sweet release from their agony.

Their final task was to rid Paris of any evidence that any of this had ever happened. Hawk Moth — Gabriel, Ladybug thought with a hitch in her breath — had already been taken away to a top secret location, probably a high security prison somewhere for the high treason he'd committed. All they had to do now was whip out the trusty old yo-yo, say the magic words, and hand over their miraculous once and for all. But it wouldn't just be the miraculous they'd be losing.

And so they stood, hugging each other close, savoring every moment they could spare just to be in one another's embrace. Ladybug drank in Chat Noir's aroma like milk; he smelled like burning asphalt and just a hint of cool, woody cologne. He pressed another kiss to her head, then began to pull away. The gap between them allowed cold air to filter through. Ladybug felt chilled to the core, now; Chat Noir wrapped his arms around himself to fight off the winds. Or maybe he was trying to hold himself together.

Ladybug slowly reached down for her yo-yo. It was time. She didn't feel ready.

[I]"As a miraculous holder, you absorb the magic in it. It lends you its strength, its speed, its ability to destroy or to create. It balances your humanity with its immortality. In return, you provide it a host with which to possess, returning knowledge of the miraculous to the populous." Master Fu began. Every few words had an awkward interval. He seemed to be gathering his thoughts at a turtle's pace.

[I]Chat Noir began to itch with impatience. "Right. We understand that. But what happens after we return them? What are you hiding?"

[I]Master Fu's eyes flashed with indignation. He did not like to be pushed, but the teens were aching for answers. Their bones were beginning to physically cry out the longer they stood there, waiting. "Well, the magic comes from Tikki and Plagg. They are mystical beings with their own thoughts, personalities, feelings. When they lend you their magic, they lend you a bit of themselves."

[I]"What are you saying?" Ladybug asked, gnawing at her lower lip until a layer of her skin began to peel. "That their personalities influence us? Is that so bad?"

[I]"I'm saying that their personalities intermingle with yours, yes, but it's more than that. Stronger. The more in tune with your miraculous you become, the more influenced you are by your kwami. Their thoughts become your thoughts. Their feelings your feelings. And Tikki and Plagg love each other very much." Master Fu said. He inclined his head toward his feet as he finally finished his explanation. "Sometimes when the wearers of the ladybug and black cat miraculous return them, they realize that the love they shared was not their own."

It was the implication that their relationship had been forged on passion that did not belong to them that made Ladybug uncomfortable. The possibilities were endless. What if every kiss they'd shared, every touch, every moment of passion, was influenced by something other than their own minds? What if, like the half-exposed moon, only one of them felt that a part of them had been lost?

It was possible they only had one last night to be in love. Ladybug wished they could enjoy it. But she could not deny her duty. Maybe that was Tikki's influence, too.

Ladybug's gaze locked with Chat Noir's. His warm, jade eyes glinted with reassurance. He almost seemed to be telling her that it would be okay. That their love was true, through and through, and his heart would never abandon hers. Ladybug nodded. Then, without any further hesitation, called upon her miraculous ladybug.

Before they could even blink, the havoc that Hawk Moth had brought upon the city dematerialized. It reverted back to its former state. Even the shallow bruises forming on the heroes' flesh eased away, allowing them to breathe a little easier.

"Chat," Ladybug called, reaching out to him. "I want you to kiss me one last time. I want to remember how it feels, in case I never get to again."

"You will." Chat Noir promised. Then he tugged on her forearms, so that her body pressed against his, and kissed her more deeply than she thought he ever had. Ladybug could taste his nerves; every lie and every secret he'd ever told seeped into her soul. Adrien Agreste was beneath that suit, capturing her lips with his own, making sure that they soaked up every emotion the other felt before they parted.

Ladybug felt a flicker of elation on his lips. She noted a twitch of worry, a moment of doubt. Most of all, after those emotions ebbed away, she felt the bruising pressure of his love and confidence. They were in love. Really, truly. Ladybug knew it. And when they finally allowed their lips to drift apart, panting, she saw on his face that he knew it too.

"I guess it's time, then." He said. Usually, the crowd would have discouraged their transformation. But today it no longer mattered. Once their miraculous was relinquished, there would be no more secrets to keep. So they de-transformed. They ignored the gasps, though most of the shock was directed at Adrien Agreste, who was the most easily identified of the two. "I'll miss you, Plagg."

Plagg's usual aloof deposition crumbled. He snuggled against the warmth of Adrien's cheek and sobbed, "I'll miss you too, kid. And your Camembert."

The farewells between Tikki and Marinette were a little sappier. More tears were shed. Marinette kissed the top of the little kwami's head and told her that she loved her. Tikki smiled and returned the sentiment with a wobble in her voice.

And then, after goodbyes, came the moment of truth. Limbs heavy with hesitation, both Marinette and Adrien removed their miraculous and placed it in Master Fu's awaiting palm.

Marinette could feel the distinction between her body now and before, when the magic stilled pulsed through her veins. She didn't feel the subtle pinpricks she'd grown used to, anymore. In fact, the world seemed quieter. Bleaker. As if she'd lost the ability to see colors no other human could see and hear whispers carried from miles away.

Most importantly, Marinette didn't feel as though her love for Adrien had been chased away. Her dedication to her duty had dulled slightly, so that she could turn to Adrien without conversing further to Master Fu without a second thought. She didn't even try to reign in her feelings. Her heart rate spiked. It was real, just as they'd suspected it was!

But when she looked into Adrien's eyes, her smile dropped. He looked at her like she was a stranger.

His love for her had been nothing more than a trick of the light, lost when she finally dared to close her eyes.


End file.
